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http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/cs ... 2347.story

Chris Duhon is scheduled to have an MRI on his left knee Monday and will miss at least the Grizzlies game after not making the Bulls' trip to Memphis on Sunday.

The team still is calling Duhon's injury a bruise but is waiting for the swelling to go down to rule out more serious ligament damage. Interim coach Jim Boylan and Duhon painted an optimistic picture.

And the fact that Duhon could bear weight, though with a serious limp, seemed encouraging.

We don't believe there is ligament damage," Duhon said. "But it's hurting."

Duhon was injured when he banged knees with Pistons guard Chauncey Billups as Duhon tried to navigate atop a screen in the fourth quarter of Saturday's victory. He stayed on the court for several minutes, and the training staff eventually carried him to the locker room.

Late Saturday, Duhon said he planned to travel to Memphis. He actually drove to the airport for the team's charter flight Sunday before being sent home.

"If my leg's not broken, usually I try to play," Duhon said.

I don't want to be a jerk and root for an injury, but it would probably be better for the bulls in the long run for Thabo Suckalosha to see the floor more. I would rather it be due to the staff recognizing this and not an injury, but maybe the ends justify the means.

at some point here you'd be seeing dramatically less Duhon either way. he's expiring and they have to see more and more of Thabo based on what's happening.

The coaching staff's incompetence has impacted my inner voice in a way that make me sad and disgusted with myself. When Duhon was down on the floor clutching his knee, my initial response was approval and even excitement.

And since that time, though it disgusts me to admit it, I've been hopeful that this injury will not visit long term harm on his career, but will cost him the rest of the season.

Not because I don't like Du as a person or as a basketball player. I like him as both. But because he's being so grossly misused (overused) by this team to the detriment of its short and long term future, that I simply don't want him available as an option. A season ending injury to him would be like removing all the booze from the grasp of an alcoholic.

I admit it. I hope the MRI comes back positive. If I said anything else, I'd be lying about it.

^

Have to agree - unfortunately. My first thought when Duhon went down was - I hope its serious.

Thats a terrible thing to think, but its the truth.

Duck and Magilla, you should be ashamed of yourselves!!

But I totally understand you 110%

Removing Duhon is/was like removing Hassell from Cartwright a few years back. Even though we replaced him with nothing, the loss, even thought it was a step back, made things much better for the future.

Duhon is great for a coach that has a one track mind. If you say to yourself, I get all happy in the pants when a guard hardly turns it over, you are going to love Duhon. You will even ignore that he is crap and a liability at everything else.

I actually wouldnt mind having Duhon next year...but with a different coach and coaching staff. They will see Duhon for what he really is and not be obligated to playing him 25-30 every night. If Boylan,Adams or even Pete Myers is here, they will corrupt the new coach into thinking Duhon is really Chris Paul with a broken Jumper.

DASMACKDOWN wrote:Duck and Magilla, you should be ashamed of yourselves!!

I am.

I gotta admit that I'm sharing some of the same guilty feelings. Like Duck said, as long as it doesn't hurt his career...I would never wish that on any player, ever. Let's just spin it another way...let's hope that Thabo plays really well, we start winning and it becomes impossible to remove him from the lineup.

Wingy wrote:I gotta admit that I'm sharing some of the same guilty feelings. Like Duck said, as long as it doesn't hurt his career...I would never wish that on any player, ever. Let's just spin it another way...let's hope that Thabo plays really well, we start winning and it becomes impossible to remove him from the lineup.

Absolutely. But I've lost faith in quality play leading to playing time (and poor play leading to bench time) on this team.

True, but I'm a glutton for punishment. Let's hope we go on the kind of winning trend you called for (like 6-2?) and the winning part changes this season's recent rotation history.

Despite the possible benefit for the team if otherwise, I hope Du is ok.

We don't need him to miss the season for the coaching staff to recognize and correct their folly. And with Kirk being somewhat gimpy this year as well, and also Kirk and BG's propensity to get into foul trouble, Duhon can still be a valuable player for the Bulls - albeit in a reduced role.

If he were to just miss 3-5 games or so and Thabo can continue to play just like he has been, I think it should be enough to lead to a recalibration of the guard minutes on this team.